How Do Students Best Learn Science?

The current research on how students learn clearly indicates that students need to be engaged in doing science rather than just hearing about it, figuring out as opposed to knowing about. For this reason, activities in my classroom are designed around problems that allow students to confront their misconceptions, investigate questions they find important, and provide students a reason to fully engage in the learning process. Since the focus is on students figuring out science, it is also important that students learn in an environment that is not focused on sharing the “right” or “wrong” answer, but on using evidenced-based thinking to improve both their personal understanding of the topic, as well as the understanding of the entire group. ​For more information, feel free to check out this statement from the National Science Teacher's Association.​

How is this Reflected in the Classroom Curriculum? Through many of the different activities that students participate in, they will be asked to not just learn or memorize science content, but to apply that knowledge to solve real-world problems. Some examples are listed below:

Newton's 1st Law of Motion

Instead of just memorizing what the law states, students are asked to apply their knowledge of acceleration to investigate why seatbelts are necessary in cars and to create a PSA aimed at informing other high school students of the dangers of riding in a car without a seatbelt.

Climate Change Investigations

Students are not just told that there are changes occurring to the current climates on Earth. Instead, they are presented data to analyze and determine what patterns can be observed. From these patterns, students can then provide reasoning to explain their claims regarding the types of changes that are occurring based upon real-world evidence. An extension of this activity also asks students to consider what changes humans could make to their activities in order to reverse or minimize the current climate changes.

Earthquake Engineering

An important consideration when constructing buildings on the west coast is the high-risk of seismic activity (earthquakes). After discussing how earthquakes occur and the different types of seismic waves, students are provided the opportunity to build their own structure to be tested against the Earthquake Machine. This activity encourages students extend their understanding of earthquakes to more than just basic facts and instead focus on the impact earthquakes and other natural disasters have on human activities across the Earth's surface. ​ .